What is the role of a scientist?

The steps a scientist may take throughout the scientific method include:

• Making an observation

• Asking questions related to the observation

• Gathering information related to the observation

• Creating a hypothesis that describes assumptions of the observation and makes a prediction

• Testing the hypothesis through a systematic approach that can be recreated

• Analyzing the data drawn from the testing and modifying, accepting, or rejecting the original hypothesis

• Replicating the test until the observations and theory align

This process can be completed in nearly every scientific situation. For example, a developer scientist may form a hypothesis related to changing human behavior and continue to test this theory until it is either proven or disproved. The only difference between how the scientific method is used is the means and industry in which it is performed.

While some skills needed by scientists will vary depending on the industry they are in, there are a few skills that most scientists are required to have to be successful. The following are skills that good scientists across a variety of fields possess:

• Curiosity

• Problem-solving

• Critical thinking

• Organization

• Communication

• Project management